1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technique for optimizing an alignment of objects to be displayed on a display device when utilizing computer software.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, software, especially xe2x80x9cmultimedia contentxe2x80x9d, has been used widely in various terminals, whose display resolutions or display shapes are distinct from one another, since such typical distribution media as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory) and the Internet has become popular. A lot of multimedia content are in a style wherein a given area size, that is, a screen resolution and a display form, is fixed for displaying the content. Thus, a problematic matter arises in that the convenient use of such software is remarkably spoiled, owing to an insufficient resolution of a display device in the terminal or to a ratio difference in the lengths of the vertical and-the horizontal lines of the display screen.
For example, there are what is called xe2x80x9cWide Televisionsxe2x80x9d which can display WWW (World Wide Web) homepages on their screens. Since most homepages are designed to be in a lengthwise form, the area on the screen of the wide televisions significantly needs more space to display the page in the longitudinal direction, on the other hand, the sidewise area thereon is left. Thus, the homepages are inefficiently displayed on the wide televisions.
In order to overcome such a problem, conventionally, there are proposed techniques for simply reducing the content""s size of the homepages and for deleting some parts of the pages which may not be displayed on the screen, by using an object alignment controller shown in FIG. 9.
In the device shown in FIG. 9, an established alignment reading section 11 reads out information regarding an established alignment of one or more than one object contained in multimedia content, whereas a required area calculating section 12 calculates a size of an area required for displaying a homepage based on the read alignment information. An area comparing section 13 compares the calculated size of the required area with a size of a displayable area which is stored in a displayable area storage section 14. Now, a change process determining section 15 determines whether to perform a change process for appropriately displaying the objects contained in the content, on the basis of the comparison result. Then, a size changing section 16 enlarges or reduces the size of one or more than one object contained in the content, in accordance with the determination made by the change process determining section 15. The resultant size changed by the size changing section 16 is supplied to a display section 17, so that the content which has been changed in its size is displayed on the display device.
For example, Power Zaurus (trade mark: manufactured by Sharp Corporation) is equipped with a flame split feature to permit users to select a desired area referring from a plurality of areas contained in a homepage so as to display one area at a time on its screen, so that it displays the homepage in a very small scale and on the screen having a low resolution.
In Unexamined Japanese Patent Application KOKAI Publication No. H6-332656, a method for aligning a plurality of graphic objects on a single screen is disclosed. However, the technique shown in Unexamined Japanese Patent Application KOKAI Publication No. H6-332656 has been proposed on the assumption that the plurality of objects are distinct from one another, and is not to provide means for revising an alignment of the objects which is previously determined by a certain producer, etc.
In Unexamined Japanese Patent Application KOKAI Publication No. S63-118830, a method for revising an alignment of objects, which is preset on a screen, according to a screen data form of each terminal device is disclosed. However, in Unexamined Japanese Patent Application KOKAI Publication No. S63-118830, there is not at all mentioned specific means how to change an established alignment of the objects in a manner corresponding to a screen data form of each terminal device.
In International Publication No.WO94/27278, there is disclosed a window system for changing a size of an area having objects according as a position of a window is changed. According to the technique disclosed in International Publication NO. WO94/27278, the objects can be transferred without depending on a resolution of the Window and re-displaying them. However, in International Publication No. WO94/27278, means for optimizing an alignment of the plurality of objects and the size thereof is not disclosed.
In International Publication No. WO95/25299, a technique for performing a display in a manner corresponding to a change in a display environment is disclosed. In the technique disclosed in International Publication No. WO95/25299, a software program, such as an operating system, and an application program, etc., is informed of the change in the display environment, so that display content of software may be conformed with the change in the display environment. In such a case, the software itself makes the display content of the software conform with the change in the display environment. In other words, the technique disclosed in International Publication No. WO95/25299 is not to provide means for specifically optimizing the alignment of the plurality of objects or the size thereof.
In Unexamined Japanese Patent Application KOKAI Publication No. H10-133973, a technique for displaying information in the form of HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) on various terminals each having a distinct resolution and a screen size is disclosed. According to the technique disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Patent Application KOKAI Publication No. H10-133973, each terminal sends information regarding an operable screen size in response to a request command from a center computer which provides information, and the center computer sets the screen size of each terminal for providing the information data corresponding to the set screen size to the terminal. In this case as well, the alignment of a plurality of objects and the size thereof are set in accordance with the prepared information data, thus the above-described technique does not intend to provide means for optimizing the alignment of the objects.
As described above, there has not conventionally been proposed any technique for providing specific means for changing the alignment of the objects in order to conform the form of the screen. Thus, according to the conventional techniques, various display devices can not efficiently be utilized, because such devices display on the screen computer software including a plurality of objects whose alignment is previously established or which are simply enlarged/reduced in their size.
In addition, the conventional techniques have not been developed under the consideration that the relationship between the objects is to preferably be maintained and that the software is to apparently be displayed. On the other hand, in multimedia content which is produced as a piece of work rather than simple information content, a plurality of objects are generally aligned on the basis of correlation between the objects contained therein and of functions of the objects. Accordingly, there is a fearful possibility that the objects may not remarkably be in a desired mutual relationship, if the alignment of the objects contained in the computer software is simply changed.
An object of the present invention is to provide an object alignment controller, an object alignment controlling method, a recording medium, and a program data signal, all being capable of efficiently using a display area, when computer software, such as multimedia content, etc., having a plurality of objects is displayed in the display area on a display device.
In order to achieve the above-described object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an object alignment controller for controlling an alignment of a plurality of objects contained in computer software and for displaying the objects on a display device, the controller comprising:
a memory which stores
computer software containing the objects an alignment of which is to be controlled,
a structure of the objects contained in the computer software,
a size of a displayable area for displaying the objects contained in the computer software on the display device, and
a predetermined program; and
a processor for, by executing the predetermined program stored in the memory,
analyzing a structure of the objects contained in the computer software and storing the analyzed structure in the memory,
calculating a size of an area which is required for displaying the objects contained in the computer software in the structure stored in the memory,
comparing the calculated size of the required area with the size of the displayable area which is stored in the memory,
determining whether to change the structure of the objects on the basis of the comparison result of the area sizes,
changing the retained structure of the objects, when determined to change the structure of the objects, and
storing the changed structure of the objects as a new structure of the objects in the memory.
According to the above-described object alignment controller, if the objects contained in the computer software can not be displayed in the displayable area, the structure of the objects is changed, so that the objects can be displayed in the displayable area based on the newly-changed structure. Thus, the displayable area (possibly the entire display device) set on the display device may efficiently be used.
In the above-described object alignment controller, the processor may allow the objects contained in the computer software to be displayed in the displayable area on the display device in accordance with the structure stored in the memory, when determined not to change the structure of the objects.
In the above-described object alignment controller, the processor may repeat the determining the changing, until a comparison result that the calculated size of the required area is within the size of the displayable area is obtained, or all applicable changes are made in the structure.
In the above-described object alignment controller, the processor may analyze an established alignment of the objects contained in the computer software and may represent the structure of the objects as an analyzed result in a tree structure. In this case, the memory may store the structure of the objects which is represented in the tree structure.
In the above-described object alignment controller, the processor may change the structure of the objects which is stored in the memory by changing a size of one or more than one object in the structure.
In the above-described object alignment controller, the processor may change the structure of the objects which is stored in the memory by changing an alignment of the objects in the structure.
In order to achieve the above-described object, according to the second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an object alignment controller for controlling an alignment of a plurality of objects contained in computer software and for displaying the objects on a display device, the controller comprising:
area storing means for storing a size of a displayable area for displaying the objects contained in the computer software;
structure analyzing means for analyzing a structure of the objects contained in the computer software;
structure retaining means for retaining the structure of the objects which is analyzed by the structure analyzing means;
required area calculating means for calculating a size of an area which is required for displaying the objects contained in the computer software in the structure retained by the structure retaining means;
area comparing means for comparing the size of the required area which is calculated by the required area calculating means with the size of the displayable area which the area storing means stores;
structure change determining means for determining whether to change the structure of the objects on the basis of the comparison result processed by the area comparing means; and
structure changing means for changing, when the structure change determining means determines to change the structure of the objects, the structure of the objects which is retained in the structure retaining means, and for allowing the structure retaining means to retain the changed structure of the objects as a new structure of the objects.
In the object alignment controller according to the second aspect of the present invention, the structure change determining means may determine whether the structure change determining means is to change the structure of the objects, until a calculation result that the size of the required area which is calculated by the area calculation means is within the size of the displayable area is obtained, or all applicable changes are made in the structure.
In order to achieve the above-described object, according to the third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an object controlling method for controlling an alignment of a plurality of objects contained in computer software and for displaying the objects on a display device, the method comprising:
storing a size of an area for displaying the objects contained in the computer software on the display device;
analyzing a structure of the objects contained in the computer software;
retaining the analyzed structure of the objects;
calculating a size of an area required for displaying the objects contained in the computer software in the retained structure;
comparing the calculated size of the required area with the stored size of the displayable area;
determining whether to change the structure of the objects on the basis of the comparison result of the area sizes; and
changing the retained structure of the objects when determined to change the structure of the objects, and storing the changed structure as a new structure of the objects.
According to the above-described object alignment controlling method, if the objects contained in the computer software can not be displayed in the displayable area, the structure of the objects may be changed for displaying the objects in the displayable area on the basis of the newly-changed structure. Thus, the displayable area (possibly the entire display device) set on the display device can efficiently be utilized.
The above-described object alignment controlling method may further include displaying the objects contained in the computer software in the displayable area on the display device in accordance with the retained structure, when determined not to change the structure of the objects.
In the above-described object alignment controlling method, the determining and changing may repeat, until a comparison result that the size of the required area calculated by said area comparing means is within the size of the displayable area is obtained, or all applicable changes are made in the structure.
In the above-described object alignment controlling method,
the analyzing may analyze an established alignment of the objects contained in the computer software, and represent the structure of the objects as the analyzed result represented in a tree structural, and
the retaining retains the structure of the objects which is represented as the analyzed result in the tree structure.
In this case, the change in the structure of the objects may be done by performing either one of process, such as insertion, deletion of a partial tree in a tree structure representing the structure, and re-connection of a node in the tree structure.
The above-described alignment controlling method may include changing the retained structure of the objects by changing a size of one or more objects contained in corresponding software.
The above-described alignment controlling method may include changing the retained structure of the objects by changing the alignment of the objects contained in corresponding software.
In this case, changing the alignment of the objects may include rotating one or more objects which are contained in corresponding software.
In order to achieve the above-described object, according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer readable recording medium which stores a program for controlling an alignment of a plurality of objects contained in computer software and for displaying the objects on a display device, the recording medium for recording the program which makes a computer function as:
area storing means for storing a size of an area for displaying objects contained in the computer software on the display device;
structure analyzing means for analyzing a structure of the objects contained in the computer software;
structure retaining means for retaining the structure of the objects which is analyzed by the structure analyzing means;
required area calculating means for calculating a size of an area required for displaying the objects contained in the computer software in the structure retained in the structure retaining means;
area comparing means for comparing the size of the required area which is calculated by the required area calculating means with the size of the displayable area which the area storing means stores;
structure change determining means for determining whether to change the structure of the objects on the basis of the resultant comparison processed by the area comparing means; and
structure changing means for changing the structure of the objects retained by the retaining means when the structure changing means determines to change the structure of the objects, and for storing the changed structure as a new structure of the objects.
In the above-described computer readable recording medium, the structure change determining means may determine whether the structure of the objects is to be changed by the structure change determining means, until a comparison result that the size of the required area calculated by the area comparing means is within the size of the displayable area is obtained, or all applicable changes are made in the structure.
In order to achieve the above-described object, according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program data signal embodied in a carrier wave, for controlling an alignment of a plurality of objects contained in computer software and for displaying the controlled alignment of the objects on a display device, the program data signal comprising a segment for realizing:
an area storing function for storing a size of an area for displaying objects contained in the computer software on the display device;
a structure analyzing function for analyzing a structure of the objects contained in the computer software;
a structure retaining function for retaining the structure of the objects which is analyzed by the structure analyzing function;
a required area calculating function for calculating a size of an area required for displaying the objects contained in the computer software in the structure retained by the structure retaining function;
an area comparing function for comparing the size of the required area which is calculated by the required area calculating function with the size of the displayable area which the area storing function stores;
a structure change determination function for determining whether to change the structure of the objects, on the basis of the comparison result performed by the area comparing function;
a structure change function for changing, when the structure change determination function determines to change the structure of the objects, the structure of the objects which is retained by the retaining function, and for retaining the changed structure as a new structure of the objects.
In the above-described program data signal, the structure change determination function may determine whether the structure of the objects is to be changed by the structure change determination function, until the size of the required area which is calculated by the area comparing function is within a size of the displayable area, or all applicable changes are made in the structure.
Other advantages and meritorious features of the present invention will become more fully understood from the preferred embodiments, the claims, the drawings, and the brief description of which follows.